Riot Most Uncouth: A Lord Byron Mystery

Thriller Award–finalist Friedman (Don’t Ever Look Back) succeeds in making his unique blend of humor, crime, and an unusual protagonist work in the first of a new series starring the famous Romantic poet. In 1807, Byron is a student at Cambridge, but his attitude toward his studies couldn’t be more cavalier. Instead of spending any time learning, the irreverent Byron, who regards himself as the world’s greatest poet, indulges his appetite for alcohol and women, while keeping a pet bear he’s named the Professor in his rooms. When Miss Felicity Whippleby is slaughtered near Trinity College, her blood drained from her body, Byron decides that his gifts extend to detection. His efforts soon conflict with those of two professional sleuths, each apparently hired by the victim’s father. The killer strikes again, and the nature of the crimes reminds the poet of the legends of vampires his father used to recount. Besides adroitly placing the major plot twists, Friedman manages to make one of the most obnoxious leads in recent memory oddly endearing and even sympathetic. Agent: Victoria Skurnick, Levine Greenberg Literary Agency. (Dec.)